ONOFFBLOCK INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: HQ085021S0001-01

Description

Xenesis is a very high data rate backhaul commercial satellite service company that will demonstrate Optical Intersatellite Links (OISL's) using our Xenesis space terminal for OISL between ISS and a free-flyer satellite in the 1550nm wavelengths utilizing OOK modulation (1–10 Gbps) in CCSDS standards which we call the Xen-Hub. The Xen-Hub is a dual-purpose design that can either be an OISL terminal or a space to ground terminal. The Xen-Hub will be configured to perform this functionality over cross link distances of <5,000 km and satellite to ground from low Earth orbit of <1500 km at slant range. SDA wants to achieve multiple missions with an objective of OISL’s being developed and demonstrated with the following SWAP bounds: <0.04 cubic meters, <30 kg, and <50 W for distances of <6400 km, and an objective cost per unit of <$100,000 once the OISL reaches production quantities. Xenesis will propose a three-part Phase I study to modify our basic Xen-Hub design for the following missions of meeting either a very low cost OISL design, or a programmable OISL to support both DPSK and OOK modulation, or a very high data rate <100 Gbps airborne OISL to space.